When will Bernie go !!

[tommystigers]

That game and that last quarter blew away hundreds of words of negativity this week about "straight sets and out" and potential board challenges in the most magnificent way.

Yep, it did.

We now have irrefutable evidence of improvement from 2013 - 2015. This is where my criticism of Hardwicks reappointment lay. I was of the opinion that he had reached his limit and capability as a coach and should not have been reappointed.

The changes that were made during and post review have complimented Hardwick. We are a different club because of these changes and the work Hardwick did on his own style and strategy of coaching.

My sincerest apologies to all the hopers I derided at the beginning of the season. I was wrong to make fun of your hope.

 

[Rowdy]

So when will Bernie go? Well if he can win the next 2 games he can have the job for life for all I care.

 

[Baloo]

Yep, it did.

We now have irrefutable evidence of improvement from 2013 - 2015. This is where my criticism of Hardwicks reappointment lay. I was of the opinion that he had reached his limit and capability as a coach and should not have been reappointed.

The changes that were made during and post review have complimented Hardwick. We are a different club because of these changes and the work Hardwick did on his own style and strategy of coaching.

My sincerest apologies to all the hopers I derided at the beginning of the season. I was wrong to make fun of your hope.

In hindsight, 2016 is an aberration, like Geelong's 2006. The Cats kept Thommo but changed things around him. It paid dividends.

I'm not sure who the hopers are, most bright sides had faith in the club. We were the faithful.

 

[toby64]

Thank Christ Dimma listened to Harry, Lamby and I

Thank Christ the club didn't Carts.

Dimma would be on the scrap heap, Matthew Knights or Ken Hinkley would be coach, Astbury would be at CHF, Focus on Footy would be in the boardroom, Dusty and Jack would be on the trade table as part of the full rebuild and the club would be preparing for 2018 rather than a preliminary final.

 

[ninjahaha]

I guess not letting the truth get in the way of a good story probably accounts for the fact you gloss over the situation at the club at the end of the 2016 season?

Harwick's arse was on the line as was his game plan, his one dimensional game day coaching and his continually selecting under-performing players. Does Vickery ring a bell? Let's not forget he was handed a 2 year extension to his contact at the beginning of 2016 which tied the hands of those that made that call; to keep him but to introduce some seriously needed help. Those changes imposed upon Hardwick with new coaching staff arriving, along with Balme; an injection of speed with new, young players that were played consistently in 2017 have worked wonders.

Whatever culture Hardwick was building was not winning the big games and finals and that culture of his was changed radically over the 2017 pre-season and I would suggest he more than anybody else knows how fortunate he is to still be head coach. I'm enjoying what has been achieved so far with my eyes wide open, without any false delusions.

I think Hardwick is counting his lucky stars and if that makes him a premiership coach then I'll be happy, in the short-term, and unlike the Bulldogs, I'll be looking for more Tiger success in 2018.

Things in the real world take time.

Many clubs get to the finals. The very best clubs win finals! This doesn't just happen without getting many aspects of a club right.

From where our club came from, to here, we all would have liked to have happened quicker. But they are doing it, we just type about it.



The club and dima needed time!



This is happening!

 

[tigersnake]

I guess not letting the truth get in the way of a good story probably accounts for the fact you gloss over the situation at the club at the end of the 2016 season?

Harwick's arse was on the line as was his game plan, his one dimensional game day coaching and his continually selecting under-performing players. Does Vickery ring a bell? Let's not forget he was handed a 2 year extension to his contact at the beginning of 2016 which tied the hands of those that made that call; to keep him but to introduce some seriously needed help. Those changes imposed upon Hardwick with new coaching staff arriving, along with Balme; an injection of speed with new, young players that were played consistently in 2017 have worked wonders.

Whatever culture Hardwick was building was not winning the big games and finals and that culture of his was changed radically over the 2017 pre-season and I would suggest he more than anybody else knows how fortunate he is to still be head coach. I'm enjoying what has been achieved so far with my eyes wide open, without any false delusions.

I think Hardwick is counting his lucky stars and if that makes him a premiership coach then I'll be happy, in the short-term, and unlike the Bulldogs, I'll be looking for more Tiger success in 2018.

Good heavy lifting Td. putting yourself out there as deranged for team benefit won't go un-noticed in the review.

 

[Baron Samedi]

Thank Christ the club didn't Carts.

Dimma would be on the scrap heap, Matthew Knights or Ken Hinkley would be coach, Astbury would be at CHF, Focus on Footy would be in the boardroom, Dusty and Jack would be on the trade table as part of the full rebuild and the club would be preparing for 2018 rather than a preliminary final.

only joking Tobes, don't take the bait ;D

but yeah, knighter would be interesting, who knows what might have happened. happy with the way the club is travelling.

 

[toby64]

only joking Tobes, don't take the bait ;D

but yeah, knighter would be interesting, who knows what might have happened. happy with the way the club is travelling.

All good fun Carts...he's finally got a top 4 list to work with!

 

[Al Bundy]

All good fun Carts...he's finally got a top 4 list to work with!

The additions of Caddy, Nankervis & Prestia has worked. Fantastic gets. Made the world of difference.

 

[easy_tiger]

Good heavy lifting Td. putting yourself out there as deranged for team benefit won't go un-noticed in the review.

not as good as Mopsy taking a Multi with 3 odds on favourites and then Geelong to win as the last leg

That, in my opinion, takes selfless superstition to a whole new level.

I applaud him, and all these guys who have sacrificed their own credibility all season for the good of the team

 

[123cups]

Dusty was the first player added the list after Donna arrived.

Let's take a moment to appreciate that he's developed an 18yo kid into the best player in the comp.

Dimma doesn't try hard to be perceived as intelligent unlike every other coach (especially Richardson, my god). Coaching is inherently full of compromises. What he does well is prioritising relationships above all else. Emotion and care and feeling comfortable is his first priority, and then he cracks down on everything else.

Very intangible and hard to judge from afar, and probably needs smart assistants more than any other coach, but I reckon Dimma's people-first philosophies are 90% of the reason we've turned our culture around from what it was in 2010 to what it is now. Totally different vibe compared to the brilliant Wallace spinning everything to make himself look smart.

 

[year of the tiger]

Did anybody see the Hinkley press conference after the game last night - he had no answers and I think he has more talent in his side compared to Wet Coast and still lost a home final - he looked like a dead man walking.

We should change the thread to When will Hinkley go

 

[TigerMasochist]

Did anybody see the Hinkley press conference after the game last night - he had no answers and I think he has more talent in his side compared to Wet Coast and still lost a home final - he looked like a dead man walking.

We should change the thread to When will Hinkley go

*smile* no. Some fool might want him to come n coach at Tigerland if we don't win the flag this year.

 

[Baron Samedi]

Dusty was the first player added the list after Donna arrived.

Let's take a moment to appreciate that he's developed an 18yo kid into the best player in the comp.

Dimma doesn't try hard to be perceived as intelligent unlike every other coach (especially Richardson, my god). Coaching is inherently full of compromises. What he does well is prioritising relationships above all else. Emotion and care and feeling comfortable is his first priority, and then he cracks down on everything else.

Very intangible and hard to judge from afar, and probably needs smart assistants more than any other coach, but I reckon Dimma's people-first philosophies are 90% of the reason we've turned our culture around from what it was in 2010 to what it is now. Totally different vibe compared to the brilliant Wallace spinning everything to make himself look smart.

good post.

i'd rather have the smart guy at the top, but you make a solid point and this scenario does seem to be unfolding at tigerland.

 

[Bill James]

If he is not performing. Six weeks.

A friend of a friend who was told exactly that by Balme at Bill Barrots funeral. Who knows if he was joking. I guess 5:1 was performing so its now irrelevant.

A lot of changes were made around Dimma to get us to a PF, Balme for one, the assistants, the recruiting structure, trading out TV and Lids which looks to have helped playing group cohesion, focus on VFL performance, selection policy that rewarded form over endeavor, bringing in some contested ball winners in Caddy, Prestia and Nank.

A few other things were luck, Graham at pick 53, Townsend turning out to be a goal kicking defensive forward, running out of tall forwards and being forced to invent a one tall forward line that the competition hasn't quite worked out to combat.

The major change was the game plan. Dimma had carefully built a list and game plan around "forward press - create a forward 50 stoppage". Subsequent rule changes made this physically demanding congestion game plan impossible to implement; less interchange, protected space around the free kick, deliberate oob and deliberate rushed behind rules made it a lot harder to sustain a game plan designed to create stoppages in forward 50.

To Dimma's credit he has created or at worst allowed, a change in playing roster and game plan to "forward pressure - create a turnover". Personally I didn't think we could adapt the playing roster this quickly and doubted Dimma's ability to change. He has not only overseen a change in gameplan I think he has changed his personal management style. Players are not longer viewed through a prism of symptomatic KPI stats but as people with lives for whom enjoying what they do is important. Hats off to Dimma for being able to change.

Most credit has to go to Peggy and Gale for standing firm on their man, but also recognizing the problems, giving him more support and I presume suggesting to him that he had to personally make some changes.

All in all it feels like a club effort, rather than just players, coach or a dynamic president/ceo etc. Confess it makes me feel optimistic that we might spend the next 37 years closer to the top of the ladder than the bottom of the ladder.

 

[AngryAnt]

A few other things were luck, Graham at pick 53, Townsend turning out to be a goal kicking defensive forward, running out of tall forwards and being forced to invent a one tall forward line that the competition hasn't quite worked out to combat.

The major change was the game plan. Dimma had carefully built a list and game plan around "forward press - create a forward 50 stoppage". Subsequent rule changes made this physically demanding congestion game plan impossible to implement; less interchange, protected space around the free kick, deliberate oob and deliberate rushed behind rules made it a lot harder to sustain a game plan designed to create stoppages in forward 50.

Top post BJ, all of it, but highlighting these paragraphs.

The other notable changes are our full court press - we've been incredibly disciplined in not allowing sides an easy out from their defensive fifty - no switching wings, sorry opposition - and allowing them only the bailout kick down the line or a riskier kick into the corridor which we can pick off. To Geelong's credit they didn't allow us to switch the ball from defence either - they knew if we switch our outside pack running will kill them.

The other aspect of this is total harassment of the oppo ball carrier and nearby players all the time - as you say this causes turnovers in our forward 50 but even around the ground. This was incredibly evident at the St Kilda game, but has been a common thread for the whole season - no easy bail out kick and no easy handpass off to a guy in a better position. This creates FUD for our opposition and if they *smile* it up, bang, fast break down the other end or if it's in our forward fifty, bang, scoring opportunity.

Those who think we are just playing freewheeling play for fun football are missing this - our game both with and without the ball is still incredibly disciplined.

The coaching team has to be commended for doubling down on these strategies, and the players for buying into these totally.

 

[Elmer]

Handbreak was in full effect keeping Geelong goalless for the first 50 mins.

 

[spook]

Good posting by BJ and the kid.

No man is an island. Clarkson is the greatest coach of the 21st century, but where would he be without Dunstall setting the direction for the club (I believe it was Piggy who insisted they go tall in the 2004 draft - bang, Roughy and Buddy), without a smart board that made brilliant commercial decisions, and most of all, without the recruiters who gave him Buddy, Roughy, Lewis, Mitchell (at pick 33!), et al.

Dimma is smart, Carts. He's not brilliant, but he's smart. And he's heart. That the players still love him after eight years speaks volumes. He's a great man manager. Coaching is now a team sport. Caracella and Leppitsch might be better tactically than Dimma, Fly might be a better teacher, but who says the playing group would have the same harmony as it does now? Brisbane was an infighting rabble under Leppa; Caracella is an introvert who would struggle to inspire the love Dimma does. Fact is, whoever is responsible for devising the game plan, for tactics, selection, etc., Dimma makes the final call. He's smart enough to trust the brainiacs around him.

The coaching team is doing brilliantly. That'll do.

 

[btoz_01]

Dimmer delivered us our finals win :clap :clap :clap
Is it too early for a 2 year contract extension?

 

[YinnarTiger]

He's still been lurking, but houdini has performed another major disappearing act.